Connect Extend Challenge

MATHS – Decimals (Connect/Extend/Challenge – Think/Pair/Share)

My year 7 Maths class has been studying decimal numbers over the last few weeks. I tried the Connect/Extend/Challenge routine at the end of this unit. I typed up a chart with connect/extend/challenge across the top and think/pair/share down the left hand side. Students initially thought silently and wrote their ideas in the Think/Connect box. They then discussed ideas with their partner and jotted down any extra ideas in the Pair/Connect box. We then repeated the process with the Think/Extend box and then the Pair/Extend box.

The process really encouraged substantial discussion during the class share time, which was a stark contrast to the usual discussion involving only one or two students. This class tends to be quite passive and very reluctantly engages in discussion.

Connections:

Students generally made connections to examples of decimals rather than deep connections of concepts (which I was expecting, being forewarned by the case study in the Visible Thinking paper that it can take weeks of modelling this tool to the class before substantial and deep connections are made). For example, students connected decimals to:
• Sports results
• Measurement
• Fractions
• 1.25 litre coke bottle
• digital time

An interesting connection was made by one student who made a memory link by connecting decimals to the alphabet. The letter D is closer to A therefore, when dividing decimals, the decimal point jumps to the left and the letter M is closer to Z, therefore when multiplying, the decimal point jumps to the right.

Extend (How has your thinking been extended or pushed into new areas)

As expected, students mostly suggested skills which they had learnt, such as: dividing decimals, multiplying decimals with lots of zeroes, jumps (moving decimal point to the left or right). Whilst affirming their suggestions, I kept prompting for students to think more deeply about how their thinking had been extended by developing an understanding of big ideas and deeper concepts. I explained that when they develop an understanding of the big ideas, it is often accompanied by an ‘aha’ moment. It can feel like a light has suddenly switched on in our brain as we suddenly develop a deeper understanding. I suggested some examples from my own learning of mathematics.

This prompted one student to contribute that his understanding of decimal points was extended when he realised the number gets larger when jumping the decimal point to the right.

It was an exciting moment when thinking was made visible by one student who said she now understands the connection between decimals and place value. She now realises that decimal places are based on ten (tenths, hundredths, thousandths and so on).

Challenge (what is still a challenge or remains a puzzle for you?)
We ran out of time to complete this section but will follow up with this during the week.

The use of this thinking routine was an introductory session to the use of the tool. I can see exciting prospects ahead as students extend their thinking in a visible way.

Lois
August 9, 2008 8:11 PM


Steve Tobias said...
What a wonderful reflection Lois. The Connect/Extend/Challenge routine is a simple way to find out what the students' know. What's more it is an effective means of sharing ideas, thoughts, conceptions and misconceptions in the classroom. I liked the way you managed the connection phase - many students fail to make the connections between real life maths and text book maths. The moving of the decimal point is a great example of this. That student not only understands what is happening when you move the point to the right/left - they can see the connection multiplication, division and powers of ten. Essentially this is the basis of the Base Ten system - very powerful learning. The challenge for the teacher is to take this 'aha' moment and see how wide you can spread this with other students.

August 11, 2008 2:30 PM

Think Pair share

I used the Think, Pair,Share model with my year 10 geography. I had a list of 40 capital cities and I wanted students to find out what country they belonged to. Instead of just looking up the countries in an Atlas students had to first list the countries that they knew. Students were then put into pairs to compare results and to see how many more countries they could obtain for the listed capital cities. It was hoped that when we compared answers as a class that we would obtain all countries. We missed out by about five. Our French exchange student was very helpful for the European countries. Students were fascinated that French students go to Spain, Germany etc for school excursions. The lesson I believe was a success and much more engaging than just looking up places in an Atlas.
Dale
July 24, 2008 10:24 AM

Think Puzzle Explore

I am really enjoying teaching this way. The children are so engaged and thinking beyond the initial question.
The children used the think/puzzle/explore method to think about learning maths. Coming back together and sharing questions was the most surprising part. The children asked questions which were meaningful, deep and challenged my assumptions about what they already knew. Outstanding!

Rachel
July 17, 2008 12:57 PM

New Comments

To Place A New Comment Click Here

Claim Support Question

Thank you Steve for the inspiring PD day last week. It supported several strategies I have used with my enrichment groups. I trialled the claim/support/question routine in Yr6 with the truth game. Lots of focus on good questioning skills to provide support/evidence to my claims. Lots of fun. Next step will be to introduce this routine for a set curriculum task. Our teenage son came home sprouting excitement over the horse puzzle, to see if mum and dad could get it. More fun. I've also heard many positive comments about very practical PD. We look forward to your next visit Steve.

Joanne
July 21, 2008 10:54 PM

Questions From July Seminar

Comments - July Seminar with Steve Tobias

Click on comments below to see teachers' responses to the seminar and their initial experiences in using the thinking routines.